11/18 - 11/25 New Orleans family does Disney! Last update - Spoodles

[TigerKat]

WOW - What a week of dining we had, some excellent meals and some not so good. I'm going to post pics on the pics thread, that is the ones that I have. We had camera malfunctions, so not all came out!

Th group was me, DH and DS(16) who ate everything in sight - DS made the dining plan so worth it!

Arrival day - we made no ADR's for this night as we planned to go to ESPN Club, not knowing that Ohio State/Michigan game would be that afternoon. By the time that crowd cleared out, we got in around 8:00. Being our first night I wasn't prepared to do my reporting as I forgot to get our server's name!! She was very good and service was great, considering the crowd.

We started with the hot wings, the bucket is no longer available :sad2: . They were the biggest chicken wings I've ever seen and the best! Then bacon/cheesburgers all around. We subbed the blue cheese with cheddar/swiss. They were really good burgers.

We just had to stop at the Boardwalk bakery on our way back to our room, the tiramisu was calling me - oh my, it was heavenly!!

Up next - Sunshine Seasons and KONA cafe!

[S.Poppins]

Looking forward to the rest of your reviews! I am in Hattiesburg, so not far from you! People from New Orleans know good food! My grandparents are from New Orleans!

[TigerKat]

Sunshine Seasons - Lunch Pics on Pic thread!!

We were very impressed with the variety offerred here, but beware - it gets very crowded. DH and I both got the Rotisserie chicken flatbread which was excellent. The chicken was very juicy and the greens very crisp. I'm not sure what kind of sauce/dressing is on this, but it is very good. DS got the Grilled Salmon and smashed potatoes, which he devoured in minutes. For dessert we had carrot cake, chocolate cake and peanut butter mousse brownie. I could see a trend starting here for me, no room for dessert. DH and DS said desserts were OK. I would definitely return here to try some of their other offerings.

KONA Cafe

Our ADR's were originally for 7:30, but because we had been selected for an hour of magic at EPCOT that night, the CM's at BWI called for us to see if they could take us earlier, and they did. We were given ADR time of 6:05 and were seated by 6:30.

Our server, Oi Shuen, was great. We normally like to take our time dining, but knowing we needed to get to EPCOT we didn't mind the fast pace that the courses came out in. I was dying to try the KONA chowder, after reading about it on the boards, but DH and DS decided to order it, so I went with the crab cakes. Oi Shuen knew that I wanted it so she brought me out a sample of it - one word - AWESOME! The crab cakes were incredible as well. I think the appetizers alone here are definitely worth a return trip. For our entrees DH had the Macadamia Mahi-mahi and DS and I had the Teriyaki steak. The Mahi-mahi was one of the best fish dishes I've ever tasted (the little bit I was given) :rolleyes: Because I've seen so many pictures of the entrees on the DIS boards I knew something was missing from DS and my teriyaki steak - there was no pineapple salsa on top! Oi Shuen was quick to bring it out when I mentioned it, but it was frozen. A bit of a disappointment, but the steaks were cooked perfectly. Desserts here were fabulous - I had the macadamia nut torte, which is very similar to a pecan pie. DH had the creme brulee and DS had the Kilahuea torte, both very good.

Up next - Backlot Express & California Grill

[lucas]

Hi TigerKat,

I'm lovin' your dining review. Makes me want to be there right now. Can't wait to read more.

popcorn::

[Minniespal]

Enjoying ~ Thanx for sharing.

[KerryCM]

WOW, everything sounds delicious! Can't wait to read more.

[shovan]

Hi TigerKat! Loving your review, can't wait for more!

[FormrCastMbr]

Great report! I can't wait to see more!!!

[TigerKat]

Backlot Express Pics on Pic thread!

Finally found something good to eat (CS) at MGM!! DH & I ordered the Grilled Turkey & Cheese sandwich, which had arugula and roasted red peppers on it. It was served on a multi-grain wheat bread and pressed like a panini. I would highly recommend this sandwich to anyone who gets tired of eating burgers in the parks. It was very good and quite large. DS got the double cheeseburger and loaded it up at the toppings bar. Of course he devoured it along with 1/4 of my sandwich. Cheesecake for us all, again I coudn't do dessert. This place has quite a large seating area, indoors and out, but it was so cold outside the inside was quite crowded. Will bo back for this sandwich again!!

California Grill

I have to say that I was looking forward to this more than any other meal that we had planned and it exceeded my expectations, to say the least. Our ADR was for 7:30 and we arrived around 7:00. We checked in on the 2nd floor and were told our table was ready. The hostess escorted us to our table which was not a window table, but one table away, which was just fine with us as we had a beautiful view of the castle. Our server, Carol, came by and welcomed us and took our drink orders - 2 dirty martinis for DH & I and a soda for DS. She told us about their signature dishes, which I already knew about from all the reading on the boards. I had to start with the Sonoma goat cheese ravioli - it was so much better than I anticipated, the creamy goat cheese and the sauce with sundried tomatoes and pesto - excellent! DH got the Dungeness Crab California Roll, which was also very good, but best appetizer of all was DS's quadruple cheese flatbread! Good thing he listens to his parents ;) and shared with us. It was amazing. On to the entrees, DH ordered the scallops, which were excellent, however there were only three and for him, that was not enough. DS and I ordered the Oak-fired filet, described by Carol as tender enough to cut with a butter knife. She was so right - it was the most tender filet I've ever had. It was served with a potato gratin and broccolini. When Carol came back to see if our steaks were cooked as ordered, mine was perfect, but DS's steak had already been inhaled! :sad2: Onto dessert, which I explained to DH, he now had room for because his entree wasn't enormous. I ordered the Chocolate raspberry valrhona cake, DS ordered the YOAMD dessert, which I'm not sure exactly what it was, some sort of honey crunch topping over who knows what, it was gone before I could even see it, and DH ordered the Bananas & Butterscotch Buzz. DS said his was very good and DH's and mine were awesome! Can you tell we now have a new favorite, must-do restaurant? I can say that this was our finest Disney dining experience ever. As we finished it was time to go out on the observation deck, all bundled up, to enjoy Wishes. Oh my, a night to remember!! :cloud9:

Up next - Tusker House & Flying Fish

[lucas]

Enjoying your reviews..... :thumbsup2

[TigerKat]

Tusker House

As said many times this is probably one of the best CS places in Disney, that said you must order the right thing. We escaped in from the cold weather outside and waited in a fairly small line. DS and I ordered the fried chicken sandwich, DH - the rotisserie chicken. DS loved the sandwich, I thought it was just OK, it was very big, but nothing special to me. DH's rotisserie chicken was right on! It was very moist and the sides of veggies and mashed potatoes were also very good! Next time I'll know to get that rotisserie bird! I learned from previous days that dessert isn't for me at lunch, so I passed. DH & DS got cheesecake and carrot cake, which they said were good.

Flying Fish

I'm glad we were staying at BWI, because I developed a migraine headache about an hour before dinner. The trooper in me said go downstairs and walk with your family to dinner. Our ADR was for 8:00, we arrived at 7:45 and waited only five minutes to be seated. The restaurant is lovely and their menu is out of this world. Joey was our server and he was hilarious, too bad I wasn't feeling well or I would have enjoyed him even more. We all started with the crab cakes which were amazing - actually more crab than bread. This is when the night went downhill for me. Our entrees arrived - Potato wrapped snapper for me, oak-grilled salmon for DS and the special of the night for DH which was a halibut dish. My head felt like it was going to explode so after a bite of my snapper I had to head back to the room. Joey was so kind to us and packed up the rest of my dinner to go for me. The descriptions I've read on the snapper convinced me to order it and I am so glad that I did. The potato crust is slightly crunchy and the snapper was very moist, the red wine butter sauce is to die for. I think the snapper surpassed KONA's mahi-mahi as my favorite fish dish!! DH & DS both raved about their entrees as well, but I can't describe them as I wasn't there. I don't have a clue what they had for dessert either. We will definitely return to FF so that I can fully enjoy a meal there!

Next up - Cosmic Ray's and LeCellier

[FormrCastMbr]

Can't wait for Le Cellier...we are going there on Xmas...hope it was good...

Sorry to hear you got a migraine during your last dinner posted...

[shovan]

Thanks TigerKat! I totally agree with you on Tusker House. That rotisserie chicken is so good! I was so happy to hear about the Flying Fish. I have ADR's for our trip in Jan. (also because of all the good reviews). If you enjoyed it even with a migraine it must be good!

[Disney owl]

thanks for sharing

[TigerKat]

Cosmic Ray's

This was not my first choice, I wanted to go to Columbia Harbor House and try that tuna sandwich! But hunger hit right at the entrance to C Ray's. DH and DS went straight to the burger line, while I walked around checking everything out. I spotted a very large wrap and headed in that direction. The bacon double cheeseburgers were just OK (after ESPN's burgers I don't think any would top it) according to DH & DS. DS also got chili-cheese fries which looked horrible to me, but he loved them. My wrap, however, was very good - turkey, bacon, lettuce and cheese, it was served with a choice of pasta salad or applesauce. I chose the pasta salad, which was OK. I added some grilled onions from the toppings bar to my wrap, which made it even better. Gotta try CHH next time.

Le Cellier

ADR's were for 7:00, arrived at 6:30 and waited about 10 minutes. We were seated in the NW Territory Province and Shane was our waiter. DH & I ordered a bottle of Jackson-Triggs Merlot and DS had a watermelon soda, which he loved!

I was really looking forward to LeCellier and let me tell you - it was better than I expected. I am not a pretzel person, but that pretzel bread is incredible. THE best dish I had all week anywhere was the Prince Edward Island Mussels. The sauce is full of applewood smoked bacon and tiny chunks of potatoes. Dipping the pretzel bread in that sauce was unbelievably good, I would have been happy with this alone for the night! DH also ordered the mussels and loved them as much as I did.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i300/TigerKat_2006/disneyworld091.jpg


DS had the salmon and crab timbale, which he said was very good. For entrees, DS and I ordered the NY strip steaks which were cooked perfectly, mine medium rare his medium. They were very tender and VERY GOOD! DH ordered the shrimp pasta, which was also excellent and had at least a dozen large shrimp in it. We were too full to eat dessert, so Shane suggested we get the Canadian Club cake, as it travels well. He boxed it up for us and we took it back to the hotel to eat later. I'm not much of a chocolate fan, but this cake was awesome, but very rich.

LeCellier was most definitely one of the best meals of our week and we will be going back!

Up next Tangierine Cafe & San Angel Inn :sad2:

[sarehm]

Great post TigerKat! Can't wait to try Le Cellier and Tusker House!

[TigerKat]

You will definitely love LeCellier and if you do the rotisserie chicken at Tusker House you'll be VERY happy!! :cloud9:

[swankybeth]

Great reviews, thanks for posting. :hmghost:

[S.Poppins]

Mussells have never sounded appetizing to me, but you almost made it sound tempting. Do they taste like oysters - because I do not like those! We are eating at Le Cellier in January. Last time we ordered Shrimp and cheese soup for appetizers.

[ufgator]

Thanks for your reviews! I know those from New Orleans know their food. :)

[TigerKat]

Mussells have never sounded appetizing to me, but you almost made it sound tempting. Do they taste like oysters - because I do not like those! We are eating at Le Cellier in January. Last time we ordered Shrimp and cheese soup for appetizers.

I'm not a big mussell fan, never have been. They do not tast like oysters, more like a clam. Really not much taste at all, the sauce is the best part of the dish! I am still thinking about dipping the pretzel bread and scooping up bacon and potatoes, oh how YUMMY!!!!!!!

[TigerKat]

Tangierine Cafe

After reading so many good reviews we couldn't wait to try this one. I already knew after seeing many pics of the lamb & chicken shawarma platter that I had to try it as we love lamb! DH & I both ordered it and DS got the meatball platter. DS was not happy as he got 4 small meatballs and a plate of rice. DH and I looked at the platter and tried our hardest to figure out where the lamb was - there were some meaty looking things, like beef jerky, covered in the sauce. We tasted it and it slightly tasted like lamb but was the texture of beef jerky. The chicken on the platter was the same - chicken jerky. The sides of hummus, tabouleh and couscous were very good. We are still very curious as to if the meats were supposed to be the texture they were or not. If they were I'd like to know the method of cooking used. Worst CS meal of the entire week, will definitely not return.

San Angel Inn

This WAS our only must do again restaurant of the trip. We've been twice before and loved it. Well that love affair has now ended. I have been defending this place for the past year and now I join those who will never return. Apps - DS - nachos, DH & I - Traditional sope, nachos were cold and sope very bland an unappealing as well. Well we figured apps were never their strongest course. On to the entrees. As our waitress heads to our table with our food she stops a table or two away and sits our food down and proceeds to take orders for a table of 6. :confused3 When she finally brings our food to us I said "it might be cold now", she touched the side of a plate and said "not cold, warm". By this time I was glad the Margarita was kicking in so I just let the entrees be served. DS started on his plate the Plato Mexicano, took a bite of each item, which was a beef flauta, chicken enchilada and a beef burrito and said "this is nasty". DH and I tried our Combinacion Cozumel plates which consisted of beef tenderloin, grilled shrimp, grilled veggies and chipotle mashed potatoes. The shrimp were cold and mushy, the beef was warm and very tough, the veggies were raw and we didn't even try the potatoes. We skipped dessert as we wanted to get out as fast as we could and get something to eat somewhere else!! I was so sad that our favorite place was such a huge disaster, but that means one more new place to try next time. Oh, the margaritas were excellent!!

Next up - Spoodles for breakfast & dinner and ESPN for a snack!!

[TigerKat]

Time to wrap this review up!! After not eating much for dinner at San Angel we decided to have a big breakfast in the morning. We stopped in at Spoodles and asked if we needed ADR's for breakfast and were told just to come in between 7:30 and 8:00 and they could seat us!

Spoodles - Breakfast

We arrived at 7:30 with no ADR's and were seated right away. Achraf, our server, delivered a pot of coffee and juice to us and after chatting a while, a manager - Christine came out to talk to us, as she is from New Orleans. After talking about home for a while, we ordered. DS got the Spoodles all you can eat breakfast platter which consisted of eggs, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes and french toast. He loved it all and ate like there was no tomorrow. DH ordered the smoked ham and cheese frittata, I had the roasted veggie frittata, both came with breakfast potatoes and a croissant. The frittatas were very large and very tasty. We all really enjoyed Spoodles for breakfast, would definitely return again and did for dinner that night.

Spoodles - Dinner

ADR's for 8:00, arrived at 7:40, while waiting noticed that they were really going out of their way to take walk-ups. This was a first!! The place was pretty crowded and still they were trying to help everyone get seated. We only waited 10 minutes.
Didn't mention during the breakfast review - we love the fact that you can watch all the goings on in the kitchen from just about any seat in the place. Very nice atmosphere!! We had the best server of the week, Sandi. You could tell she really loves her job, she made us feel at home and she was so funny. For starters we had two flatbreads, the 4 cheese and garlic one and the margherita. They were both outstanding, not quite as good as the one at CG, but very, very good. I think the 4 cheese one was the better of the two. They also bring out an olive tepenade with the bread that is delicious.

For entrees DS ordered the oak-fired salmon and Sandi asked if he would like to sub the roasted vegetables for something else, which he happily did - fries. It was also served with rice. He said this was the best salmon he had all week, even better than FF. I didn't get to try it, so I can't say, but it was a very large piece of salmon! DH and I both ordered the oak-fired NY strip with sweet potato fries and horseradish cream sauce. Steaks were perfectly cooked and soooooooo good, I thought this steak was as good as the one at LeCellier. The sweet potato fries were seasoned very well and a very nice compliment to the steak. We also had a pitcher of Sangria, which was so good I had Sandi get me the recipe before the night was over. No room for dessert, but we were treated to a very entertaining balancing act/comedian/magician, right out of the kitchen. He came out and got as many willing participants as possible. So much fun, we LOVE this place!!

Well that's all until next time, hopefully next year. ;)